A domestic startup funded by Canon Electronics and IHI subsidiaries, etc.space one(Minato-ku, Tokyo) launched its first small rocket, Kairos, just after 11 a.m. on the 13th, but it exploded immediately after launch.
NHK’s footage from Spaceport Kii immediately after the rocket launch showed smoke rising and the surrounding area engulfed in flames. Many pieces of debris and parts of the aircraft were also scattered. Space One President Masakazu Toyoda said at a press conference that fragments of the aircraft fell on the premises of the launch site, and that the fire had already been extinguished and there was no damage to third parties or company personnel. said.
When news of the failure became known, the stock prices of companies that invested in the company plummeted. Canon Electronics stock temporarily fell 13% from the previous day to 2,228 yen, marking the lowest intraday decline since March 2011. IHI stock fell 2.6% to 3,412 yen, and Shimizu Corporation stock fell 1.5% to 937.4 yen.
According to President Toyoda, the rocket “flight was suspended approximately five seconds after liftoff.” The cause is currently under investigation, but added, “We would like to take this result positively and move on to the next challenge.”
Immediately after Kairos launch
Photographer: The Yomiuri Shimbun/AP Photo
The number of rocket launches has increased rapidly in recent years due to the growing demand for communications and earth observation satellites, and last year 2,664 satellites were launched around the world.In Japan, which is ahead of countries such as the United States, the United Kingdom, and China, the government has created a space strategic fund worth 1 trillion yen and plans to secure public and private launch capacity for about 30 projects a year.want to be。
The number of satellites launched into space continues to increase
Source: Our World in Data
Space One, in which Development Bank of Japan and Bank of Mitsubishi UFJ have also invested, was scheduled to launch Kairos on the 9th, but the launch was postponed because the ship remained in the maritime warning zone.
According to Space One, the Japan Aerospace Exploration Agency’s (JAXA) small rocket Epsilon is 26 meters long, while Kairos is 18 meters long. Space One plans to use its dedicated launch site, Spaceport Kii, to conduct short-term, high-frequency launches, with the aim of conducting 20 launches a year.
(Updates with company comment)